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#FriendsWhoRead2020 Reading Challenge (original IG post)

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laura.a.bailey

Jan 21

Finished my second historical fiction book for #fr

Finished my second historical fiction book for #friendswhoread2020.
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I needed a day to figure out how to be back in the ‘real world’ after reading this book! The Lady of the Rivers was my first Phillipa Gregory book. A friend recommended I start with this as it is the chronological first book in Gregory’s Plantagenet & Tudor novels.
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This book follows the life of Jacquetta of Luxembourg who rose, then fell, then rose again to a prominent position in England during the Hundred Years War and the War of the Roses. She served closely to the Queen of England, Margaret of Anjou as a lady-in-waiting and close friend and confidant.
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If you have interest in the late Middle Ages, you might enjoy this book! Gregory does a good job of depicting the lifestyles of the royalty and nobility and how they navigate their luxurious existence in times of war and famine.
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I love Phillipa Gregory’s writing style. This particular book is written in first person, and moves pretty quickly without feeling like she skims through scenes. I look forward to reading more from this author!
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#historicalfiction #phillipagregory #friendswhoread #readingchallenge2020

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Jan 18

Thrifted books haul! Each of these books was just

Thrifted books haul! Each of these books was just $1 at @halfpricebooks (except the Diary of a Wimpy Kid - those were $3/ea). My girls are in #bookloverheaven.
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#raisingreaders #kidswhoread #chapterbooksforkids #thriftbooks #halfpricebooks #hpbhaul

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Jan 14

Halfway through thoughts: The Lady of the Rivers i

Halfway through thoughts:
The Lady of the Rivers is different than the books I typically read! I’m loving it and will be looking for more by Phillipa Gregory to add to my list.
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This book is set in early 1400s England/France, beginning at the end of the Hundred Years War and going into the War of the Roses. The main character is Jacquetta, made Duchess of Bedford as a teen being married to John, Duke of Bedford (uncle to the young King Henry VI). When her husband dies, she follows her heart rather than the political lines and marries his squire.
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This is a fascinating story and it’s hard to put down when I’m reading it. At the same time, it’s broken up into small chunks with small closures that make it easy to not pick it back up. Because of that, I feel like it’s takin me a little longer to read it.
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The other thing that is making it a slower read is that I keep stopping to google historical events mentioned and to look up family trees and timelines. Which is a good thing! I love when historical fiction leads me down a rabbit hole!!
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#historicalfiction #phillipagregory #theladyoftherivers #friendswhoread2020 #currentlyreading

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Jan 11

My view this morning. All three kids in swimming l

My view this morning. All three kids in swimming lessons, but of course they can’t all happen simultaneously. 😒 It’s a long morning.
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I’m just under 25% through The Lady of the Rivers by Phillipa Gregory (my 2nd historical fiction read for #friendswhoread2020 January). I’ve never read a book about this time period before and I’m enjoying it! I do tend to get slowed down by trying to figure out which aspects are historically accurate and which are fiction (although there’s a bit of magic, and I realize that is fiction 😜).
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Are you doing #FriendsWhoRead2020 this month? What are you reading?
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#historicalfiction #phillipagregory #theladyoftherivers #readingchallenge2020

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Jan 10

I dusted off the ol’ blog to share my Best Books

I dusted off the ol’ blog to share my Best Books of 2019! I included my top 10 fiction, top 10 nonfiction, and as a bonus, a few middle grade chapter books my daughters and I enjoyed. 😁 (You can use the link in my bio to navigate to the post!)
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#bestbooksof2019 #bestbooks2019 #top10books #booklist
. https://pocketsfullofwonder.com/the-best-books-i-read-in-2019/

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Jan 9

Standing in for the librarian at this cute element

Standing in for the librarian at this cute elementary school library today. 😍
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#librarianfortheday #librarylove #elementaryschool #library📚

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Jan 7

I finished this book on Sunday afternoon and spent

I finished this book on Sunday afternoon and spent the rest of the day in a fog. It was one of those types of books. I couldn’t put it down and the ending left me breathless, with closure but wishing for more.
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Orphan Train follows two timelines, one during the late 1920s and ‘30s and one in 2011. Both stories are about children left without their parents in a hard and cruel world. They learn to adapt despite their hardships and eventually the two paths cross, making for an interesting and unexpected friendship.
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The early 1900s storyline is inspired by the orphan trains that transported more than 200,000 orphaned, abandoned, and homeless children from the east coast to the Midwest to live in indentured servitude thinly veiled as adoption. I knew nothing of the orphan train story before learning of this book. It left me wanting to learn more - a good sign of well-down historical fiction. .
#unputdownablebook #orphantrain #friendswhoread2020 #readingchallenge2020

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Jan 5

I’m half reading, half listening to his conversa

I’m half reading, half listening to his conversation with the zebra. 😂
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I’m about halfway through Orphan Train. I love the parallel storytelling of Molly’s and Vivian’s experiences. There are parts that are hard to read, but it’s also hard to put down.
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#momlifekeepingitreal #momswhoread #sundayreading #unputdownablebook #orphantrain #historicalfiction #friendswhoread2020

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Jan 3

I finished Things You Save in a Fire. .. It’s a

I finished Things You Save in a Fire.
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It’s a lesson in love, empathy, and forgiveness told through the story of a very talented young female firefighter with a promising career who battles her bitterness and resentment about her past while struggling to prove herself in a ‘good ol’ boys’ culture.
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This was my first book by Katherine Center. I loved her writing style and immediately put the rest of her books on my list to read upon finishing this one.
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Honest review:
I struggled a bit to connect with any of the characters during the first ~100 pages. But then I could not put it down after that. It was SO GOOD and there were so many tears. It ended up being a 5 star read for me.
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#thingsyousavebook #thingsyousaveinafire #bookstoread #whatshouldireadnext #friendswhoread

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Jan 2

My January #historicalfiction pick for the #friend

My January #historicalfiction pick for the #friendswhoread2020 challenge is Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline. It’s been recommended to me by several friends (and I’ve been warned there will be tears). What are you reading this month?
. #goodreads #goodreadschallenge2020 #myreadinglist #whatiread2020 #whatshouldireadnext #readingtime #bookstoread #bookclubofinstagram #whatimreadingnow #readersofinstagram #letsreadabook #ijustwanttoread #momswhoread #booksworthreading
#friendswhoread2020 #2020challenge #readingchallenge #booksharks #allthebooks #bookster #bookish #readersofinsta #christinabakerkline #orphantrain

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Jan 2

Just finished reading this cute book with my two g

Just finished reading this cute book with my two girls. It’s a story about being open to trying new things, and being ok if it doesn’t work out, told from the perspective of a middle school girl. Oh yeah, and her grandfather has turned himself into a 14 year old boy. 😁
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The Third Mushroom by Jennifer L. Holm
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Also, I’ll share one of my January #friendswhoread2020 challenge picks tomorrow! (Are you playing along? Check out my post from a few days ago for details!)
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#thethirdmushroom #jenniferlholm #middlegradebooks #middlegradefiction #readaloudrevival #bedtimebook
#goodreads #goodreadschallenge2020 #myreadinglist #whatiread2020 #whatshouldireadnext #readingtime #bookstoread #bookclubofinstagram #whatimreadingnow #readersofinstagram #letsreadabook #ijustwanttoread #momswhoread #booksworthreading

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Dec 30

Christmas tree is still up. I’m not mad about it

Christmas tree is still up. I’m not mad about it.
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Currently reading: Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center
. #goodreads #goodreadschallenge2020 #myreadinglist #whatiread2020 #whatshouldireadnext #readingtime #bookstoread #bookclubofinstagram #whatimreadingnow #readersofinstagram #letsreadabook #ijustwanttoread #momswhoread #booksworthreading
#friendswhoread2020 #contemporaryfiction #bookishlove #booklove #nytimesbestseller #thingsyousaveinafire #katherinecenter

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Dec 29

My mom gave my kiddos these pretty books by one of

My mom gave my kiddos these pretty books by one of her favorite authors. I can’t wait to read them together. ♥️
. #goodreads #goodreadschallenge2020 #myreadinglist #whatiread2020 #whatshouldireadnext #readingtime #bookstoread #bookclubofinstagram #whatimreadingnow #readersofinstagram #letsreadabook #ijustwanttoread #momswhoread #booksworthreading
#friendswhoread2020 #middlegradereads #realaloud #alicehoffman #ilovetoread #booklove #middlegradefiction #bookishgifts

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Dec 28

New readers. 🙌 . #readersofig #readersofinstagr

New readers. 🙌
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#readersofig #readersofinstagram #fortheloveofreading #booklove #bookish #letsreadabook #readabook #readers

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Dec 27

Got myself this book (as a Christmas gift from me

Got myself this book (as a Christmas gift from me to me ♥️). I like reading some inspirational nonfiction with my morning coffee. This may not be what comes to mind when you think ‘inspirational reading’ (unless you’re an #enneagram5 😘). But nothing inspires me more than ‘big questions’. Can’t wait to dive in.
. #goodreads #goodreadschallenge2020 #myreadinglist #whatiread2020 #whatshouldireadnext #readingtime #bookstoread #bookclubofinstagram #whatimreadingnow #readersofinstagram #letsreadabook #ijustwanttoread #momswhoread #booksworthreading
#friendswhoread2020 #nonfiction #ennegram5life #intj #intjfemale #inspirationalreads #booksthatmakeyouthink

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Dec 23

Hey friends! I’m doing a little reading challen

Hey friends! I’m doing a little reading challenge and I’d love you to join in. Just pick any book from the given category each month. Share your reads with #friendswhoread2020. Share this graphic if ya wanna. ♥️📚😍📚
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Also, I have a friendly little group on Facebook where we’ll be sharing and chatting about this challenge. DM me and I’ll send you the link to join if that’s your jam. 😘
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#goodreads #goodreadschallenge2019 #myreadinglist #whatiread2019 #whatshouldireadnext #readingtime #bookstoread #bookclubofinstagram #whatimreadingnow #readersofinstagram #letsreadabook #ijustwanttoread #momswhoread #booksworthreading

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Dec 17

I’m *finally* reading this book that everyone wa

I’m *finally* reading this book that everyone was talking about last year. It took @mrsjjew telling me to read it for me to actually do it. 🤷‍♀️
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#educated #goodreads #goodreadschallenge2019 #myreadinglist #whatiread2019 #whatshouldireadnext #readingtime #bookstoread #bookclubofinstagram #whatimreadingnow #readersofinstagram #letsreadabook #ijustwanttoread #momswhoread #booksworthreading
#friendswhoread

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Nov 5

I hear people say “I didn’t vote for president

I hear people say “I didn’t vote for president because my vote doesn’t matter anyway.” Y’all. If you want your vote to matter, you have to vote in all elections. It starts from the bottom. ✌️🇺🇸
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Also, I haven’t shown my face in a while. So here it is. 😊
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#ivoted #votingmatters #useyourvoice #voteineveryelection

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